TruSize Incorporated -- Part 01

“This is fucking bullshit!” Richie Spears shouted. 

“Richie… Richie…” Franklin chased after him. “It’s okay. It’s just a precaution.”

“A fucking unnecessary one! You think I can’t take care of myself?!” his voice wouldn’t calm down as he went into the conference room. “Huh?!” He flexed his upper body showing off his muscles. He’d been working out since he started high school and when college wouldn’t take him for football he said, ‘fuck it’ and went straight to bodybuilding. Rapidly gaining muscle to be able to show off to anyone who got in his way.

“Listen,” Franklin tried to calm him down. He closed the door behind him. “Listen. We just can’t have something happening to you. Right now, you’re our biggest brand name. If…” Franklin took a breath. “If something were to happen to you we don’t know what we’d do. Okay?”

“I get threats like this from faggots like him all the time. You really think I can’t handle it?” 

Franklin’s hands gripped his tablet tighter. Richie always had a problem with his language but in the office; he had to be extra careful. “Please,” Franklin said. “We aren’t calling you weak or anything. We just need to make sure you're safe.”

“And that’s why I need a bodyguard right? Some guy to protect me cause I can’t fuckin protect myself. That it?”

“The risk--”

“Oh! The risk! C’mon! We’ve already been through this like a dozen times. The biggest guy still weighed half as much as I did and all he wanted was my underwear. Sick fucking freak but nothing I can’t handle.” Richie crossed his arms against his impressive chest as if to say he wasn’t saying any more. His head cocked to the side and raised an eyebrow.

Franklin’s head lowered. “No… We’re not taking that chance again. We hired someone to help.” Almost on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me!” Richie rolled his eyes. In walked the new assistant and a massive wall of a man behind him. “Leo! You’re in on this too?”

“He’s not in on anything!” Franklin said. “This isn’t a hit or whatever. And I don’t care about your damn ego. You’re taking the bodyguard.”

Richie mulled it over for a second, chewing the inside of his mouth. He couldn’t believe the protein powder company could see him as so weak as to need someone like this. “You think I need a bodyguard?” 

Leo nearly jumped as he was being addressed. The small guy didn’t have much of a presence. “No sir!”

“See?” Richie leaned in the chair like he’d just won the debate. Franklin shot him a glare which made the small guy shrink down even more. “Oh don’t be like that. He’s just bein honest. Ain’t that right?”

“Yes sir,” Leo said with a bit less conviction. He was already going to get a talking to, he didn’t need to make it any worse.

“Exactly,” Richie beamed. He stood up and crossed the room to the door. “Now, I think I’ll be heading out.”

“Not without a bodyguard…” Franklin said. The big guy moved in front of the door. 

Richie tilted back his head. He was used to being the big guy in the room. He was usually a couple inches taller than everyone else and his thick muscular body made everyone know their place. But this guy was somehow bigger. Total meathead that somehow stood a head taller than him. Richie let out a grunt and forced a smile. “Course…” He turned back to Leo. “Hey bud. You been working out?”

“Uhhh…” Leo paused, looking to Franklin for support. A nod was given. “Yes sir. I’ve been working out more and trying something that the lab is developing.”

“Are you now?” Richie said. He reached out and grabbed Leo’s arm feeling the muscle. “Going to get nice and strong?”

“Richie…” Franklin threatened. 

“Ye-ye-yes sir,” Leo’s face went red. 

“Of course you are! You’re using TruSize products! Perfect for getting you the size and strength you deserve,” Richie added a cheeky smile as he stated their slogan. Franklin's death glare only sharpened. “Ain’t that right? Best products on the market,” Richie’s grip on Leo tightened and he pulled hard, dodging the big guy guarding the door and pulling the smaller man out with him. 

“Richie!”

Richie gave Franklin a finger and kept walking. “I’ve got my bodyguard. Now fuck off!” 

-----

Richie went down to the garage and got into his bright red convertible. “What are you waiting for?”

Leo stood motionlessly. His face was near the color of the car and he looked like he didn’t even want to touch it. “Are… Are you sure?” 

“Sure? Course I'm sure. You wanna stay here and have Franklin bitch you out?”

“No sir!” 

Richie smiled at the obedience. “Then get in.”

“Yes sir!” Leo was still incredibly cautious as he opened the door and sat down on the leather seats. 

“It’s a car. Quit acting like you’ll break something,” Richie growled. Leo tried to sit more comfortably but his fear wouldn’t let him. “What? Never been in something this nice?”

“Uhh… Only once sir. Franklin took me home once. But I don’t know if his car was as nice as this,” Leo answered.

“Probably not. They paying you well? Bet this costs more than you make in a year.”

“It does… But Franklin’s been talking about giving me a bonus! He says I deserve it because he can trust me with just about anything.”

“Is that right…” Richie’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Fucking faggot’s always got his hand on his wallet.” Leo’s body tensed up to more than where it had been when he’d gotten into the car. Richie rolled his eyes. “Sorry,” he grunted.

“Sir?”

“You heard me damn it,” Richie said. “Yer gay. Ain’tcha?” He watched as Leo squirmed under the accusation.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t fucking appologize damn it! It ain’t something to be sorry fer.”

The rest of the car ride both remained silent. It wasn’t until Leo gave a ‘wow’ as they drove up the long driveway. “Pretty nice, eh?” Richie bragged. “Perks of being the talent. But maybe with that bonus Franklin’s going to give you, you can buy your own.”

“Maybe…”

“C’mon,” Richie laughed as he jumped out of the car and headed into the main part of the house. He dropped his keys on the counter that held dozens of containers of TruSize products. “So what’s he got you on?” 

“Umm… I’m not sure… It’s a new product they want to test out,” Leo said.

“Well it’s all bullshit. You really think it was these powders that got me this big?” Richie held up his 20 inch arm giving it a flex. The hard bicep solidified showing off the perfect shape of his arm. “These are just for dumbasses who want a magic solution to their problems. And they’re too scared of steroids to try. If you think that that's the only reason I'm this big then you'll stay the same size as all the girls.”

Leo nodded unsure what to say. He was one of the guys who catalogued everything that they sold and didn’t want to demonize the product. All he could do was nod.

“You don’t have to lie. C’mon man, relax. I ain’t going to bite yer head off. You’re my bodyguard afterall.”

“Yes sir,” as uptight as Leo was, even he could get a chuckle out of that one. He finally stepped out of the doorway and into the kitchen.

“Good man. Now I just need you to mix 2 cups of the chocolate in a shaker bottle with 16 ounces of milk and then get a cup of water and mix in the pre workout,” Richie said.

“Sir?”

“What? Just cause it’s all bullshit doesn’t mean I don’t use it. Can’t make a liar out of the company now can we. They’ve got good lawyers. That’s why it’s always been, ‘used by our athletes.’ Doesn’t ever say shit about making you grow.”

“But…”

“But what? It’s even in the slogan. 'What you deserve.' If you trust this magic powder, it’s what you deserve. Next to nothing,” Richie laughed. “Now just make me some of that and meet me in the gym.”

“Yes sir!” 

Richie left to go to his room to change into his workout clothes. He walked down to his private gym where Leo was already waiting for him with exactly what he’d asked for. “Perfect. You’ll be a great bodyguard.”

“Thank you sir,” Leo’s eyes shot to the floor as the tension in his body seemed to go down. 

“I’ll make sure Franklin gives you that raise,” Richie added. Leo nodded, then stepped towards the door of the gym. “Hey,” he called out, stopping the small guy from leaving. “Wanna watch me workout?” Leo stopped but in the mirrors, Richie could see him biting his bottom lip and trying his best not to let the corners of his mouth turn upward. His entire face was flexing as it tried to keep from smiling. “It’s always easier to get those stupid sponsor shots when someone else is taking the pictures.”

“Is… Is that okay?”

“Course it is! Just don’t be a fucking creep about it,” Richie said. 

“O-okay,” Leo turned back around and grabbed Richie’s phone, opening the camera. 

“Perfect.” Richie held the bottle in his hand and took a nice big drink of it while Leo took a few pictures.